The Arado was a German reconnaissance seaplane, which served aboard many of the famous German Navy ships of the day, including Graf Spee and Bismarck. Designed by Walter Blume, over 500 were built by the Arado company between 1939 and 1944. The Arado AR 196 was a great success and loved by its pilots for its easy handling both on land and water.

For its latest livery, we are pleased to go right back to the beginning to bring you the Arado AR prototype from late 1938. Designated Werks Nummer 2590. Arado was answering a German Air Ministry request for the successor to the He.114, which had to be capable of operating on both land and sea. Arado was the only designer/manufacturer to come up with a low wing monoplane, as opposed to competitors’ bi-planes. The German Air Ministry were so pleased, they ordered an initial four prototypes.

Our 1:72 scale replica models of the Arado 196 is decorated in a plain grey-beige with silver floats, in turn decorated with red tips. The cockpit is grey- green and the aircraft also has dark green propeller blades. Alpha-numeric lettering is printed in black along the sides of the fuselage and upper wings with a final detail of the German Swastika on the tail in black/white out of a red band. Note too, the gun to the rear of the cockpit